About Us

Stratford Academy is the oldest independent, non-sectarian, college preparatory school in Middle Georgia. It opened its doors in September 1960 in the antebellum Overlook Mansion (now the Woodruff House) on Coleman Hill in historic downtown Macon. Now located on a beautiful, 107-acre campus on Peake Road, the school provides a challenging and supportive learning environment. Among the school’s founding principles is intellectual independence — teaching young people how to think instead of what to think, where to look instead of what to see.Visit About Us

Admissions

Stratford prides itself on diversity and places strong values on academic, religious and personal freedom. The school welcomes and embraces students of all faiths, backgrounds and talents. Stratford has an enrollment of 897 students, age 3 through grade 12, and attracts a student population from 13 counties in Middle Georgia. There are 4,044 Stratford graduates now living in 44 states and 17 countries.Visit Admissions

Academics

Building on more than a half-century tradition of academic excellence, scholastic performance and college preparation, Stratford graduates have a 100 percent college matriculation. They also outperform their peers in GPA (3.1 vs. 2.6) and HOPE scholarship retention (89 percent vs. 35 percent). The school’s Advanced Placement (AP) program offers 21 courses. Since 1997, Stratford had had more AP Scholars (696) than any independent school in Middle Georgia. Since 1999, Stratford has had 24 National Merit Semifinalists.Visit Academics

Athletics

Stratford offers 23 varsity athletic teams, and approximately 85 percent of upper and middle school students participate on a school-sponsored team. There is at least one “no-cut” sport available to student-athletes each season. The Eagles and Eaglettes have combined to win 195 state championships. Since returning to the GHSA in 2014, Stratford has finished each year in the top 10 for the Regions Bank Director's Cup for best overall athletic program in Class A Public/Private. Two of the three years the Eagles have finished first in Region 7-A.

Arts

Students of all interests and ability levels are encouraged to participate in the school’s fine arts program. The 400-seat Henry Harding Tift Fine Arts Center and Auditorium provides young people with opportunities to develop and showcase their talents in theatre productions, choir, marching and symphonic band and literary competitions. In the visual arts, students have opportunities to display their paintings, drawings and photography in the Virginia Parker Buzzell Gallery in the main entrance to the school.Visit Arts

Celebrating ART

Learn. Experience. Celebrate.

Celebrating ART is a week-long event celebrating the visual arts in the Middle Georgia community. Whether you are a casual art lover or a serious aficionado, there is a part of Celebrating ART to pique your interest. EXPERIENCE our visiting artists-in-residence who are on-site throughout the week demonstrating their own unique trades and art forms. LEARN about relevant current art topics with our Artistically Speaking and Lunch and Learn speaker series. CELEBRATE the arts at our Gallery 6010 artist marketplace and other special events. This event is open to the public and for all art enthusiasts in our community.Visit Celebrating ART

Camp Eagle

Camp Eagle has been providing summer enrichment programs for Stratford families for more than 45 years. Each year, there are offerings in fine arts, academics, athletics and cheerleading for ages preschool through adult from May 31 to July 29.Visit Camp Eagle

Athletic Forms and Eligibility

Athletic Physical Forms

All student-athletes must have an updated physical on file prior to the first day of practice for any sport. A pre-scheduled date in the month of May each year is the only time physicals are administered by the school at no charge. If you are unable to make this date, the scheduling and cost of a physical will be the family's responsibility.

Academic Eligibility at Stratford - Upper School

(These eligibility rules meet or exceed the requirements established by GHSA)

To be eligible to participate, practice, and/or try out in interscholastic activities, a student must be academically eligible. A student is required to pass classes that carry at least 2.5 units counting toward graduation the semester immediately preceding participation.

Exception 1: First semester ninth grade students

Exception 2: A cheerleader who is academically ineligible for the spring semester may try out if she is passing ALL classes at the time of the tryout. The window of opportunity to try out under these conditions is available only during the ten (10) days that the school sets aside for tryouts.

(a) Passing is a grade of C- or higher

(b) Students participating in junior varsity of “B” team competition must meet all scholastic requirements

(c) If an eligible student transfers from a school that uses a block-schedule format to a school using a traditional format (or vice versa) and that student cannot get a full schedule of classes with equivalent credit in the semester of the transfer, the school may petition the Executive Director of the GHSA for a waiver of this rule for the first semester after the transfer occurs.

(d) For schools offering courses with yearlong grading, eligibility must be computed for each semester

a. At the end of the first semester, students must be passing 2.5 units

b. The second semester grade will be the grade given for the entire course.

Students gain or lose eligibility on the first day of the subsequent semester. The first day of the fall semester shall be interpreted as the first date of practice for the first sport.

Exception: Students who successfully complete summer school to maintain eligibility become eligible the last day of summer school. Summer school is a review of the skills to be mastered in a given course: a new course is taken that results in a new credit being earned. Summer school grades are not included in the GPA.

(a) A maximum of two (2) credits earned in summer school may be counted for eligibility purposes.

(b) Summer school credits earned in non-accredited home study programs or non-accredited private schools may not be used to gain eligibility. Accreditation recognized under the rule shall be from the Georgia Accrediting Commission (GAC) or a regional accreditation agency (such as SACS) or the Georgia Private School Accreditation Council (GAPSAC).

(c) An independent study course taken in summer school must be regionally accredited and accepted by the school system for graduation credit.

Courses completed after the beginning of a new semester may not be used to gain eligibility for that semester. Example: night school classes, correspondence courses, etc.

Students must accumulate units toward graduation according to the following criteria:

(a) First-year students (entering 9th grade) are eligible academically. Second semester first year students must have passed courses carrying at least 2.5 units the previous semester in order to participate.

(b) Second-year students must have accumulated five (5) total units in the first year, AND passed courses carrying at least 2.5 units in the previous semester.

(c) Third-year students must have accumulated eleven (11) units in the first and second years AND passed courses carrying at least 2.5 units in the previous semester

(d) Fourth-year students must have accumulated seventeen (17) units in the first three years, AND passed courses carrying at least 2.5 units in the previous semester.

(e) Students may accumulate the required units for participation during the school year and eligibility will be reinstated at the beginning of the next semester.